Versatile commercial trash bin lid assembly

ABSTRACT

A commercial trash bin (26) is fitted with a commercial trash bin lid (22), which has an opening in the front (23). A variety of interchangeable insert plates (80, 102, 140), may be mounted onto the lid to cover the opening. An insert plate (102) may be fixedly attached to the lid to completely close the opening, such that the lid may be used as a standard commercial trash bin lid. The insert plate (102) may alternatively be hinged to the lid and be spring-biased into a closed position. A user may push on the lid to rotate it open for inserting small objects into the bin without having to lift the full lid. Insert plates (80, 140) provide separate apertures, either for recyclable bottles and cans. Chutes (150) may be provided to direct material input through the opening (23), and a rain hood (160) may be mounted onto the lid to prevent rain from entering the opening.

RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/134,408, filed on Oct. 8, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,251.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a versatile trash container lid assemblyhaving interchangeable insert plates to easily and inexpensively convertthe lid for a variety of different uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commercial refuse containers provide storage for substantial quantitiesof refuse prior to disposal at off-site locations such as landfills orincineration facilities. A typical commercial refuse container is alarge, generally rectangular structure with an opening on top. One ormore hinged lids swing down to cover the opening, thereby protecting thecontents from the elements and preventing garbage odors from escaping.

A variety of commercial trash bin lids have been put into use toaccommodate the needs of individual trash bin users. Some lids have beenprovided with an aperture to allow a user to dispose of small pieces oftrash or recyclable material without having to lift the lid. Theaperture has sometimes been covered by a small door, such as thatdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,141, issued to Pamment, which shows anaperture covered by a second lid.

Other lids provide more than one aperture so that a different type ofrecyclable material can be inserted into each aperture, thereby allowingeasy segregation of the different materials. Yet another type of lidprovides no open aperture, but does provide a fixed nameplate thatdisplays the name of the owner of the containers.

The need to provide a variety of lids has created a problem forcompanies that lease commercial trash bin lids. When the lessee returnsthe bin to the company, the company must change the lid to meet theneeds of the next user. So, for example, a county fair might need afixed-nameplate lid for a few weeks. When the fair is over, the lessormay have to replace the fixed-nameplate lid with a lid having anaperture to meet the needs of an apartment complex that is renting thebin next. The constantly changing needs of the lessees force commercialtrash bin lessors to maintain large and expensive inventories of lids.Similarly, an owner of an individual bin may have to pay for a new lidwhen he or she wants to put the bin to a new use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the expense of purchasing and storing various different lidsfor use on a commercial trash bin, the present invention provides asingle commercial trash bin lid that can be easily and inexpensivelyconverted to alter the use of the lid.

The lid preferably includes at least two different modes. In a firstmode, the lid is provided with a fixed insert plate which may advertisethe name of the owner or user of the lid. In one or more additionalmodes, the lid may have an aperture at least partially closed by aplate, which still permits the insertion of trash through the opening.

In one alternative mode, a user may swing the plate to open theaperture, so that the user may input a small piece of trash withoutlifting the lid. In a third mode, the geometry of the plate and the lidmay provide two or more openings. A user can then input a different typeof recyclable material into each opening. In addition to these differentmodes, the lid should be easily converted into various modes toaccommodate various needs as they arise.

In accordance with illustrative specific preferred embodiments of theinvention, a commercial trash bin lid is provided with a standard sizeopening toward the front thereof. A plurality of interchangeable, matinginsert plates are provided which may selectively be fitted into thestandard size opening to accommodate a variety of uses for thecommercial trash bin lid. More specifically, an insert plate may be: (1)in the form of a fixed insert plate which may also be a nameplate; (2) aspring biased hinged insert plate to permit the insertion of newspapersor the like through the hinged insert plate; or (3) provided with atleast two spaced openings to receive different types of trash, such asrecyclable cans and bottles.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the commercialtrash bin may have an interior arrangement for separating trash. Thisarrangement may consist of partitions dividing the commercial trash bininto different regions. Alternatively, one or more inner containers maybe provided inside the commercial trash bin. With either arrangement,one type of trash is readily separated from other types of trash.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a commercial trash binlid which includes two spaced plastic layers may be provided with astandard sized opening toward the front of the lid, and the plasticlayers may be molded to join each other around the opening to form ahigh strength smooth opening; and arrangements are provided for securingstandard size insert plates to fit into the opening.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a commercial trashbin lid is provided with a standard size opening toward the frontthereof; and alternative mating insert plates are provided which mayselectively be fitted into the standard size opening to accommodate avariety of uses for the commercial trash bin and lid assembly.

Embodiments of the present invention may include various other features.The trash bin may have a minimum volume of at least 500 liters. The lidopening may be at least approximately 18 inches long. The assembly mayinclude brushes that extend across the aperture to discourage pilfering.A rain hood that is adapted to mount onto the lid and to extend over theopening to prevent rain from entering said bin. One or more chutes maybe mounted on the inner side of the lid, with the chute or chutesdirecting material deposited through the lid opening to a predeterminedarea of the bin. One or more of the insert plates may provide aplurality of spaced apertures to receive different types of recyclablematerial. One or more spring-biased hinges adapted to attach at leastone of said insert plates to the commercial trash bin lid may beprovided. The spring-biased hinge or hinges allow the insert plate toswing open for the deposit of trash, then return to a closed position.

As is readily seen, the interchangeable insert plates of the presentinvention allow a user to convert the commercial trash bin lid toaccommodate a variety of uses. New insert plates can be developed tomeet the needs of specific users as they arise.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from a consideration of the following detailed description andthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a commercial trash binassembly in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the commercial trash bin assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the commercial trash bin lid shown in FIG. 1showing that the lid is provided with a front opening and an insertplate hingedly mounted to the lid and covering the front opening;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 showingthe swinging motion of the insert plate, which is mounted to the lid viaa hinge and coil spring assembly;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of Section A of FIG. 4 showing the coilspring attached to the lid and the insert plate;

FIG. 4B is an enlarged view of Section B of FIG. 4 showing a stopattached at the lip of the insert plate to prevent the coil spring frompushing the insert plate too far open;

FIG. 4C is an enlarged view of the coil spring and the associated hingeattached to the lid and the insert plate;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an insert plate mounted onto the lid,the insert plate being provided with two spaced openings to receivedifferent types of recyclable material, such as bottles and cans;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6--6 of FIG. 5 showing thedouble-walled construction of the lid and insert plate of FIG. 5, withthe insert plate being fixedly attached to the lid;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7--7 of FIG. 5 showing thebrushes mounted on the interior wall of the lid;

FIG. 8 is a view of the insert plate of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a view of an alternative embodiment of a nameplate insertplate;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a commercial trash bin according to thepresent invention wherein two inner containers are provided forsegregating recyclable material from other trash, and a rain hoodextends over a universal access port;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a commercial trash bin taken alongline 11--11 of FIG. 10 showing one inner container storing recyclableglass bottles and another inner container storing recyclable aluminumcans;

FIG. 12 shows a kit that includes a trash bin lid with a universalaccess port, various insert plates, one or more chutes, one or morespring hinges, bolts, and one or more plates and a rain hood; and

FIG. 13 is a top view and partial cutaway view of an embodiment havingchutes to guide recyclable material to desired positions within the bin.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a commercialtrash bin assembly 20 according to the present invention. Assembly 20includes a commercial trash bin lid 22 mounted on a commercial trash bin26. Lid 22 includes an opening 23 in the front portion of the lid. Aninsert plate 24 covers the opening 23. Commercial trash bin 26 isprovided with wheels 28 for mobility. FIG. 2 is a side view of thecommercial trash bin assembly 20. The commercial trash bin is providedwith handle 66, and two outwardly extending pivot pins 25 which allow amechanized truck to lift the entire commercial trash bin and pivot itabout pins 25 to empty its contents. The front portion 40 of lid 22slopes forward toward the front of the commercial trash bin. As willbecome apparent, this forward sloping aids the user in disposing ofsmall articles of trash through opening 24.

FIG. 3 shows the commercial trash bin lid 22 in some detail. Ribs 32stiffen the lid to prevent the lid from sagging. FIG. 10 shows that ribs32 may be raised above the surface of the commercial trash bin lid.Returning to FIG. 3, hinges 30 attach to a hinge rod (not shown) on therear of the commercial trash bin, thereby rotatably securing the lid tothe commercial trash bin. The front portion 40 of lid 22 is providedwith opening 23, which is covered by insert plate 24. Coil spring plates36 connect insert plate 24 to lid 22. Stop plates 38 prevent insertplate 24 from opening outwardly from the commercial trash bin, but allowthe insert plate to open inwardly into the commercial trash bin.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the lid assembly taken along line4--4 of FIG. 3. It is important to note that lid 22 and insert plate 24may have a "double-walled" construction. That is, lid 22 and insertplate 24 have an upper wall 48 and a lower wall 50. This double-wallconstruction provides additional structural support for the lid. Thus,the lid can be made of a lightweight material, such as a cross-linkedpolymer, without experiencing sag. This type of double-walled,cross-linked polymer lid is particularly tough and retains its normalshape even after being repeatedly impacted. An example of adouble-walled refuse container cover is provided in U.S. Pat. No.4,771,940, which is incorporated by reference.

FIG. 4 also shows that coil spring 58 in region A spring biases insertplate 24 into a closed position. Consequently, when the insert plate isrotated clockwise into open position 52, the coil spring will create aforce to rotate the insert plate counterclockwise.

FIG. 4A is a close-up, cross-sectional view of Section A in FIG. 4. FIG.4C is a bottom view of the structure of FIG. 4A. As seen in thesefigures, spring plate 64 is bolted onto lid 22, and spring plate 62 isbolted onto insert plate 24. Both spring plates are mounted onto shaft59 so as to allow insert plate 24 to rotate relative to lid 22. Coilspring 58 is mounted onto shaft 59, located between spring plates 62 and64.

FIG. 4B is a close-up, cross-sectional view of Section B in FIG. 4. Stopplate 38 is bolted onto the edge of insert plate 24. Stop plate 38extends beyond the edge of insert plate 24 to engage with the frontportion of lid 22 when the insert plate is closed. FIG. 3 shows that twoshort stop plates may be employed, although a third stop plate may beadded in between the other two.

FIGS. 5 and 7 illustrate an alternate embodiment of an insert plate 80.The insert plate has curved, concave edges 96 and 98 and is considerablyshorter than opening 23. Consequently, apertures 86 are formed at eitherend of insert plate 80. This allows a user to insert different types ofrecyclable material in either aperture, or to distribute one recyclablematerial more evenly to more completely fill the container. Forinstance, a user might insert glass bottles in one aperture and aluminumcans in the other. A region 92 is provided on insert plate 80 forimprinting a corporate name and logo or other indicia, as well as thename of the recyclable material to be deposited, or instructions foruse. A similar imprint region 102 may be provided on a larger insertnameplate of the type shown in FIG. 8.

Returning to FIG. 5, insert plate 80 is fixedly mounted onto commercialtrash bin lid 22. FIG. 6, which is a cross-sectional view taken alongline 6--6 of FIG. 5, shows that insert plate 80 is bolted onto lid 22 sothat a user cannot rotatably open the insert plate. Alternatively, theinsert plate may be mounted onto lid 22 with a coil spring arrangementsuch as that shown in FIG. 4C.

Embodiments having an insert plate such as 80 may include brushes 87,which serve to discourage pilfering by making it more difficult forsomeone to reach inside the trash container and remove recyclableobjects. Brushes 87 also prevent loose paper and other unwanted trashfrom blowing into the apertures 86. The brushes 87 may be mounted asillustrated in FIG. 7, in which brush retention slots 88 are provided onthe interior side of the lid, adjacent to the top and bottom edges ofthe apertures 86. The bristles of the brushes extend partially acrossthe apertures 86. Cans, bottles, or other recyclable items may then beinserted in between the line of separation 89 between two opposing rowsof bristles, as seen in FIGS. 5 & 7.

FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative embodiment 104 of the presentcommercial trash bin assembly. This embodiment includes two separatelids 106 and 112 having front openings 108 and 114, respectively. Thisdual-lid arrangement is particularly appropriate for larger commercialtrash bins. Insert plates 110 and 116 are mounted onto the respectivelids by the spring bias arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4A-C.Free-standing inner containers 118 and 120 are positioned inside thecommercial trash bin, directly behind and below front openings 108 and114, respectively.

As seen in FIG. 11, a user may insert recyclable materials into openings108 and 114 for storage in inner containers 118 and 120. FIG. 11 showsthat inner container 118 contains glass bottles 124, while innercontainer 120 contains aluminum cans 126. Handles 122 are provided oncontainers 118 and 120 to allow a user to lift the containers out of thecommercial trash bin to remove the recyclable materials. A mechanizedtruck can then lift and empty the commercial trash bin in standardfashion.

Dashed lines 130 in FIG. 10 show that the trash container 104 may bepartitioned into two compartments, with one type of recyclable materialbeing deposited in one compartment and another type being deposited inthe other. The containers may be emptied by mechanized dumpers eitherusing a single truck with a split receiving hopper, or by unlocking oneof the lids and then the other as the container is dumped successivelyby two trucks, one for each type of recyclable material.

The interchangeable insert plates that FIGS. 3, 7, and 8 illustrate area key feature of the present invention. These insert plates make thelids of the present invention very versatile. For example, a user maywish to utilize the spaced aperture insert plate 80 of FIG. 7 toseparate recyclable bottles and cans from each other. At a later time,the user can convert the lid for recycling newspapers, for instance, byreplacing insert plate 80 with spring-biased insert plate 24. At yetanother time, the user may replace insert plate 24 with a nameplateinsert that completely covers opening 23 and is fixedly attached to lid22, thereby creating a standard lid. This versatility spares a user theconsiderable cost of having to purchase several separate lids. A widevariety of insert plates, each having a unique feature can easily bedeveloped to meet specific user needs.

A lid "kit" according to the present invention (FIG. 12) may include avariety of components, such as a lid 22 having a universal access port23, various insert plates 80, 102, 140 that may be individually mountedwithin the universal access port, a chute 150 or chutes to directobjects within the bin, spring hinges 36, plates 82, nuts, bolts, and/orscrews 60 of various sizes, and possibly other hardware. When mounted onthe lid, insert plate 140 provides three apertures through whichrecyclable material may be input. Concave end portions 144 provide twosuch apertures, and aperture 142 provides the third.

A kit such as that shown in FIG. 12 allows the user to configure the lidas she desires. For instance, the user may fixedly mount an insert plate80, 102, or 140 using a plurality of plates 82 and an appropriate numberof screws, nuts and/or bolts 60. Alternatively, the user may hingedlymount an insert plate 80, 102, or 140 with one or more spring hinges 36and an appropriate number of screws or nuts and bolts. The user may alsomount one or more chutes 150 on the interior wall of the lid 22, suchthat the chute or chutes directs deposited bottles or cans into specificareas of the interior of the bin. Various other components may be addedto the kit, depending on the needs of the user.

A rain hood 160 may be provided to prevent rain from entering theopening 23, which may also be referred to as a universal access port.Rain hood 160 has two sides 162 each having an upper end 166 and a lowerend 168, with bolt apertures 174 on the lower end. The top 170 of therain hood extends between upper ends 166 of the sides 162 and backwardto define the rear 164 of the rain hood. The hood 160 is mounted aboutthe universal access port 23, with the top portion of the hood extendingover access port 23 and with an open front 172 allowing access to theaccess port. Hood 160 is bolted onto the lid 22 at side bolt apertures174 and rear bolt apertures 176. An optional rain flap 178 may extenddownwardly from the rain hood to cover the open front 172 of the hood,thereby preventing rain from blowing into the access port.

One or more chutes 150 (FIG. 13) may be provided to guide inserted itemsinto the proper areas of the interior of the bin. One such arrangementincludes an insert plate 80 having concave end portions 96, 98 toprovide apertures 86 for bottles or cans when mounted on lid 22. Chutes150, 152 are mounted on the interior lid wall and the insert plate,which is normally fixedly mounted to the lid, by means of aflange/bolt/nut arrangement. The chutes are bolted onto the interior lidwall through bolt apertures 154. Chutes 150, 152 extend downwardly andinwardly into the bin 26, thereby directing objects entering apertures86 into receptacles 118, 120, respectively.

Other chute arrangements may alternatively be provided. For instance, aninsert plate may be provided such as insert plate 80 of FIG. 12 which,when mounted, provides three or more apertures for inserting bottles orcans. Three chutes may then be provided, with one chute for each of theapertures.

Chutes 150 may be provided to separately direct recyclable items tovarious positions within the interior of the bin. For instance, onechute may direct all objects that are inserted into one aperture to therear of the bin. Another chute may direct all objects that are insertedinto a second aperture to the front right of the bin. Still anotherchute may direct objects inserted into a third aperture to the frontleft of the bin. The general idea is to provide chutes that areindividually associated with a corresponding aperture to direct objectsinserted into the aperture to a particular location within the bin. Onechute may direct all glass bottles to a glass bottle area, another chutemay direct all aluminum cans to a can area, and so on. An individualreceptacle may be positioned beneath the end of each chute.

In the preferred embodiment, the refuse container lid of this inventionis manufactured from an organic polymer such as a polyethylene resinwhich is cross-linked and manufactured using conventional rotationalmolding techniques. Among the materials available are cross-linked HDPEcompounds of polyethylene resins as manufactured by the PhillipsChemical Company of Bartlesville, Okla. under the registered trademarkMarlex. Similar suitable materials are available from the PAXON company.

While a cross-linked polyethylene material is preferably used tomanufacture the lid of the present invention, a variety of polyethylenesmay be used including linear low-density polyethylites. The nature ofthe organic polymer is preferably such that it has thermal settingcharacteristics. However, included within the materials which may beused to manufacture the cover of this invention are thermoplasticmaterials such as vinyl, polyethylene, and polypropylene.

The refuse container lids are preferably formed by a rotational moldingprocess. Rotational molding is known per se, and involves closing twometal mold halves and clamping these together. Heat is applied to themold at a controlled temperature, while the mold is rotatedsimultaneously about two axes, with powdered plastic particles withinthe mold. The tumbling plastic particles melt and gradually fuse to forma homogenous layer of substantially uniform thickness over the entireinner surface of the mold. A hollow article having a substantiallycontinuous outer surface is thus formed. The refuse container lids couldbe formed by other techniques, such as by forming the upper and lowersurfaces separately, and bonding them together along their peripheriesby blow molding or any other hollow part molding process; however, therotational molding, or roto-molding process is preferred.

The rain hoods, chutes and insert plates of the present invention may bemade of the same material as the lids, or may be a variety of otherdurable materials. The insert plates may be double-walled and may bemanufactured with a rotational molding or blow molding process.

The lids may have a raised upper surface, and a mating recessed lowersurface so that the lids may be stacked in a nested or interfittingmanner. To give the general idea of dimensions, a typical commercialtrash bin lid as used in the United Kingdom may be 1235 mm wide by 920mm deep by 27 mm thick. An insert plate of the type illustrated in FIG.8 may be 750 mm wide by 148 mm deep by 27 mm thick. The rounded edges ofthe removable plate may be portions of circles having radii of 74 mm. Atypical commercial trash bin may be 1370 mm high by 1275 mm wide by 980mm deep.

The approximate minimum commercial trash bin volume for the presentinvention is about 500 liters. Incidentally, a typical small commercialtrash bin of the type widely used in the U.S. and as shown in FIGS. 9and 10, may be about six feet long and three feet from front to back. Itis anticipated that a typical lid opening will be at least approximately30 inches in its longer direction for large commercial trash bins,corresponding to the 750 mm figure noted above. More generally, theopening should be at least 12 inches, and preferably at least 18 inches,in its longer direction so that a standard-size newspaper will fitthrough the opening. It should be stressed, however, that specificdimensions vary widely depending on the particular embodiment and on theparticular country for which it is intended.

While a particular preferred embodiment has been disclosed, it will beunderstood that variations and modifications may be effected withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Thus, by way ofexample and not of limitation, lid 22 may have a single-layerconstruction using aluminum, steel or other metal. Additionally, a widevariety of plastics known to those skilled in the art may be used forall of the components of the present invention rather than cross-linkedpolymers. As with the lids, the chutes 150 and rain hood 160 may be madefrom various alternative materials, including aluminum, steel or othermetals, or durable composite materials, for example.

A commercial trash bin may be provided with three or more lids ratherthan the one or two illustrated in the drawings. Compartments may bebuilt into the commercial trash bin to separate the recyclable materialsand trash, rather than removable inner containers. The commercial trashbin need not be rectangular, but may be circular or any other shape, andis not limited to any particular dimension. Similarly, the lid openingsand associated insert plates may be a variety of different shapes,including rectangular, oval, circular, or various irregular shapesadapted for a particular purpose. The insert plates need not be flat,but may be arched or have a bent-like configuration, with one portion ofan insert plate lying within one plane and an adjacent portion lying inanother plane. Furthermore, the insert plates may be double walled asshown in FIGS. 4 and 6, or otherwise multi-walled, or may be a singlelayer of material More generally, the term insert may refer to brushesor flaps alone.

The lids may have several openings rather than just one, and theopenings may be located anywhere on the lid. With reference to FIG. 5,rubber flaps may be used as an alternative to the brushes 87 todiscourage pilfering. Spring hinge 36 may be longer than thatillustrated in the FIG. 4C and may have two or more coil springs.

The chutes 150 may be mounted in various ways, and the present inventionis not limited to the mounting arrangement illustrated in FIG. 13. Forinstance, the chutes may be mounted on the front wall of the bin, ratherthan on the lid itself. The insert plate could then be mounted onto thelid with a spring hinge, allowing the insert plate to swing open withoutinterference from the chutes.

Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the specificembodiment shown in the drawings and described in the detaileddescription.

What is claimed is:
 1. A commercial trash bin assembly comprising:acommercial trash bin; a double-walled plastic commercial trash bin lidcovering an open top of the bin and having a front portion and astandard-sized opening in the front portion, said lid comprising twospaced layers of material, said layers being molded to Join each-otheraround said opening to form a smooth, high-strength perimeter; and aplurality of interchangeable insert plates, each being separatelymountable on said lid to be received into said lid opening, saidassembly further including at least a first insert plate which isadapted to completely close said lid opening, and a second insert platewhich is adapted to only partially close said lid opening, and saidsecond insert plate being adapted to form at least one aperture withinthe periphery of said lid opening when mounted on said lid; wherein saidtrash bin lid may be converted quickly and inexpensively withoutremoving the lid from the container by removing one of said insertplates and replacing it with another of said insert plates, for use inrecycling an entirely different recyclable commodity.
 2. A commercialtrash bin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said insert plates aredouble-walled plastic.
 3. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 1, wherein said lid opening has a longer dimension, and saidlonger dimension is least approximately 18 inches.
 4. A commercial trashbin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said assembly furthercomprises brushes extending across said aperture when said second insertplate is mounted on said assembly, wherein said brushes discouragepilfering of said bin.
 5. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 1, wherein said assembly further comprises a rain hood adapted tomount onto said lid and to extend over said opening to prevent rainfrom-entering said bin.
 6. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 1, wherein said lid comprises an inner side and an outer side, andwherein said assembly further comprises a chute mounted on said innerside of slid lid, said chute directing material deposited through saidopening to a predetermined area of said bin.
 7. A commercial trash binassembly as defined in claim 1, Wherein said assembly further comprisesat least one inner container positioned within said bin.
 8. A commercialtrash bin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said second insertplate is adapted, when mounted on said lid, to provide a plurality ofspaced apertures to received different types of recyclable material. 9.A commercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein saidassembly includes a spring-biased hinge adapted to attach at least oneof said insert plates to said commercial trash bin lid so that saidinsert plate may swing open to allow a user to input recyclable materialthrough the opening in the commercial trash bin lid.
 10. A commercialtrash bin assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said insertplates is securely mounted to said lid.
 11. A commercial trash bin lidassembly comprising:a commercial trash bin lid having a front portion,the commercial trash bin lid having a standard-sized opening in thefront portion; said lid having an extent of at least three feet in atleast one direction; and a plurality of interchangeable insert membersof different configurations, each of which is adapted to be individuallyfitted to said lid to be received into and at least partially close saidopening; wherein said trash bin lid may be converted quickly andinexpensively without removing the lid from the container by removingone of said insert members and replacing it with another of said insertmembers, for use in recycling an entirely different recyclablecommodity.
 12. A commercial trash bin assembly-as defined in claim 11,wherein said assembly further comprises brushes extending across aportion of said opening to discourage pilfering.
 13. A commercial trashbin assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said assembly furthercomprises a rain hood adapted to mount onto said lid and to extend oversaid opening to prevent rain from entering said bin.
 14. A commercialtrash bin assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said lid comprises aninner side and an outer side, and wherein said assembly furthercomprises a chute mounted on said inner side of said lid, said chutedirecting material deposited through said opening to a predeterminedarea of said bin.
 15. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 11, wherein said assembly further comprises at least one innercontainer positioned within said bin.
 16. A commercial trash binassembly as defined in claim 11, wherein at lest one of said insertplates is adapted, when mounted on said lid, to provide a plurality ofspace apertures to received different types of recyclable material. 17.A commercial trash bin lid assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein atleast one of said insert plates is adapted, when mounted on said lid, toprovide an aperture to receive refuse.
 18. A commercial trash binassembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said assembly includes aspring-biased hinge adapted to attach at least one of said insert platesto said commercial trash bin lid so that said insert plate may swingopen to allow a user to input recyclable material through the opening inthe commercial trash bin lid.
 19. A commercial trash bin lid assembly asdefined in claim 11, wherein at least one said insert plates is adaptedto fully close said opening and wherein said assembly includesarrangements for fixedly securing said insert plate to said lid so thatsaid opening remains closed during normal use of said lid.
 20. Acommercial trash bin lid assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein saidinsert plates are substantially flat and elongated.
 21. A largecommercial trash bin assembly comprising:a large commercial trash binhaving a minimum volume of at least 500 liters and an open top; acommercial trash bin lid made substantially of molded plastic coveringat least a part of the open top of said trash bin, said trash bin lidhaving a front portion and an opening in the front portion; a pluralityof interchangeable inserts, each being adapted to be mounted on said lidand to be received into and at least partially close said opening, saidopening being at least approximately 18 inches wide; and at least oneremovable inner container having dimensions substantially less than saidcommercial trash bin, the container being positioned inside of saidcommercial trash bin and below said opening of said lid; wherein atleast one of said inserts is adapted to fully close said opening and tobe fixedly secured to said lid so that said opening would remain closedduring normal use of said lid; whereby said trash bin lid may beconverted quickly and inexpensively without removing the lid from thecontainer by removing one of said inserts and replacing it with anotherof said inserts, for use in recycling an entirely different recyclablecommodity.
 22. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 21,wherein said assembly includes a spring-biased hinge adapted to attachone of said insert plates to said commercial trash bin lid so that saidinsert plate may swing open to allow a user to input refuse through theopening in the commercial trash bin lid, said hinge being adapted totend to push said mounted insert plate back into a closed position. 23.A commercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 21, wherein one ofsaid insert plates is adapted for mounting on said lid to provide anaperture to receive bottles and cans.
 24. A commercial trash binassembly as defined in claim 21, wherein said assembly further comprisesmeans extending across at least a portion of said opening to discouragepilfering.
 25. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 21,wherein said assembly further comprises a rain hood adapted to mountonto said lid and to extend over said opening to prevent rain fromentering said bin.
 26. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 21, wherein said assembly further comprises a chute mounted onsaid lid, said chute directing material deposited through said openinginto said removable inner container.
 27. A commercial trash bin lidassembly comprising:a commercial trash bin lid having a standard-sizedopening; said lid having an extent of at least approximately three feetin at least one direction; and a plurality of interchangeable insertmembers of different configurations, each of which is adapted to beindividually fitted to said lid to at least partially close saidstandard-sized opening; wherein said trash bin lid may be convertedquickly and inexpensively without removing the lid from the container byremoving one of said insert members and replacing it with another ofsaid insert members, for use in recycling an entirely differentrecyclable commodity.
 28. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 27, wherein said assembly further comprises brushes extendingacross at least a portion of said opening to discourage pilfering.
 29. Acommercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein saidassembly further comprises a rain hood which may be integral to the lid,or which may alternatively be adapted to mount onto said lid, forextending over said opening to prevent rain from entering the trash bin.30. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein saidassembly further comprises a chute for mounting on said lid to directmaterial deposited through said opening into the trash bin.
 31. Acommercial trash bin assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein saidassembly further comprises at least one inner container positionedwithin the trash bin.
 32. A commercial trash bin assembly as defined inclaim 27, wherein at least one of said insert members is adapted, whenmounted on said lid, to provide a plurality of spaced apertures toreceive different types of recyclable material.
 33. A commercial trashbin assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein said trash bin lid isdouble-walled and plastic.
 34. A commercial trash bin assembly asdefined in claim 27, wherein said assembly includes a spring-biasedhinge adapted to attach at least one of said insert members to saidcommercial trash bin lid so that said insert member may swing open toallow a user to input recyclable material through the opening in thecommercial trash bin lid.
 35. A commercial trash bin lid assembly asdefined in claim 27, wherein at least one said insert members is adaptedto fully close said opening and wherein said assembly includesarrangements for fixedly securing said insert member to said lid so thatsaid opening remains closed during normal use of said lid.
 36. Acommercial trash bin lid assembly as defined in claim 27, wherein atleast one of said insert members is substantially flat and elongated.37. A method of converting a commercial trash bin lid quickly andinexpensively without removing the lid from the container comprising thesteps of:preparing a convertible commercial trash bin lid comprising:acommercial trash bin lid having a standard-sized opening; said lidhaving an extent of at least approximately three feet in at least onedirection; and a plurality of interchangeable insert members ofdifferent configurations, each of which is adapted to be individuallyfitted to said lid to at least partially close said standard-sizedopening; adapting said lid for use in recycling a first type ofrecyclable material by fitting a first one of said interchangeablemembers to said lid to at least partially close said standard-sizedopening; and converting said lid quickly and inexpensively withoutremoving the lid from the container by removing the first member andreplacing it with a second member, for use in recycling an entirelydifferent recyclable commodity.